President Obama’s
comment last week that it is the responsibility of Congress to schedule
narcotics introduced two contested points: first, the role of executive power
in scheduling dangerous drugs; second, whether scheduling is even necessary for
cannabis and herbal cannabinoids.

Sullum notes: “The DEA argues that
marijuana satisfies the first criterion because people like to consume it for
nonmedical purposes, which according to the DEA qualifies as abuse. It’s
illegal, after all. According to that definition of abuse, prohibition
justifies itself, which hardly seems fair. A more reasonable view defines abuse
as harmful, excessive, or problematic use.”

“Further,” said Dan Linn, Executive Director of the Illinois chapter of NORML and part of Publius and The Cannabis Papers: “I feel we need to offer more than just
the idea of rescheduling and get people to start thinking about taking cannabis
off the CSA scheduling entirely; treat the plant like a therapeutic botanical
and regulate it like any other herbal vitamin or supplement.”

Linn added organizations such as the
American Herbal Pharmacopoeia and the American Herbal Products Association are scientifically
positioned to support the removal of cannabis from the CSA: “Otherwise, if it’s
on a controlled list – schedule whatever – the idea that cannabis sativa is
a‘dangerous plant’ is still out there.”